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Now I'll go ahead and answer my own question and say I'm pretty damn certain the only reason why Sony is doing this "remaster" is because season 2 of the HBO series is coming soon and they want to capitalize on it. I'm certain that's the main reason why we got the PS5 version of TloU1 and I'm sure that's exactly why the second game is getting a similar treatment.

With TLoU1 I will grant there was a surprising amount of graphical enhancements made that I can see at least some form of justification to remaster that game for PS5 despite the PS4 version of the game already including enhancements like 60 FPS, but with the second game when I watched comparison videos between the PS4 version running on PS5 and this new native version the amount of enhancements looks extremely minimal at best. It sounds like the only significant new content in this PS5 edition is they're adding a new roguelike game mode, which sounds neat, but it sounds like that's it.

At the very least it is worth noting that if you already own the PS4 version you can upgrade to the native PS5 edition for only $10, rather than having to pay a full $70 for the first game even if you already owned the PS4 edition.

You see a lot of remaster/ports come out on a new console generation. Most common reason is to train staff and build up infrastructure for working on new devkits and new hardware. Doing an easy, cheap port is also a good way to make a return to "keep the lights on" while the studio buys a buncha devkits, shuffles in new staff, and probably upgrades workstations at the same time.

Some studios also fall into the "this is what makes us successful" rut and kinda get stuck as "the [x] studio" where they only make [x]. Sometimes this is do to an obsessive creative who only knows how to make one thing (coughdruckmancough) and other times it's due to the publisher/producers not being comfortable in greenlighting an entirely new brand when the brand the studio is known for gets such glowing reviews/sales.

Promoting the show and/or promoting the PS5 are also probably on Sony's desires like Fortune said. That type of thing can matter in these decisions. Personally the easiest way to think about it is "lmao naughty dog washed up and creatively bankrupt" but there's probably more logic to it than I'd care to admit.